6 Quick Ways To Be More Mindful Today

Practicing mindfulness is easier than you think. But it can be daunting to be more mindful if you’re not sure where or how to begin.

That’s why I suggest you start by incorporating little moments of mindfulness throughout your day. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use events that recur throughout your day as reminders to take a moment to pause and breathe.

For just a few minutes, shift your awareness away from the autopilot of life and try to truly be present in the moment. That’s mindfulness in everyday life!

Below are six examples of every day moments in life that offer the opportunity for you to be more mindful. And when you’re ready to take your practice to the next level read this post on how to fit a mindfulness practice into your busy schedule.

Stop Lights, Elevators and LinesThere are natural pauses in life that you can use as reminders to be more mindful.

So the next time you come to a stop sign, are waiting for the elevator or are standing in line, pause and take a few relaxing deep breaths. You’ll feel so much better being mindful instead of stressing out over the slowest elevator in the world (that you also have no control over!).

Brushing Your Teeth and Washing Your HandsUsing daily activities such as brushing your teeth and washing your hands are perfect moments to be more mindful.

The idea is to bring mindful attention to these ordinary activities and just focus and observe. That means thinking about how the brush feels on your teeth or the water on your hands—not thinking about your to-do list.

Savor Your FoodEating mindlessly has unfortunately become the norm in this go-go world we’re living in.

But you have the power to change that every time you sit down for a meal (and start by sitting down if you’re not even doing that).

Instead of surfing the net while you’re having lunch or dinner, put your laptop away (or shut off the TV) and pay attention to what you’re putting in your mouth. Now you can savor that bite of avocado toast or the fresh basil you sprinkled on your tomatoes and truly enjoy your meal.

Give these tips a try and share what other daily activities you’re using as a reminder to be more mindful in the comment section below.